Kouvolan Lakritsi reprimanded over health-risk advertising

Finnish confectionery maker Kouvolan Lakritsi has been reprimanded for an advertisement that the Council of Ethics in Advertising said downplayed health risks, Yle reported.

The ad, displayed outdoors and on social media, read: “Blood pressure this, fat that and sugar the other. You’ll die sometime anyway.” It showed liquorice and a product package.

The council received four requests from individuals for statements on two of the company’s advertisements. The complainants, including a doctor, said liquorice can raise blood pressure, blood fat and blood sugar levels, and can be dangerous if eaten in excess. They argued that the ad made light of those risks.

The council said the advertisement breached good marketing practice by downplaying risks associated with the product. It said the ad violated three rules in the International Chamber of Commerce’s marketing code, which states that marketing should not encourage irresponsible use of a product.

Kouvolan Lakritsi said the slogan was deliberately exaggerated and ironic, intended to lighten the mood and prompt reflection on life’s limits. The company said it was not threatening consumers or emphasising individual risks.

The council also reviewed another company advertisement, which said: “The world is burning. Let it burn.” The company said it encouraged people to take a brief break from everyday life and enjoy small pleasures. The council found that ad did not breach advertising ethics, noting its use of words with multiple meanings.